Student support

Study at Coventry

Term dates

Coventry University academic teaching year is made up of three 16 week-long teaching blocks. Here you will find information about term dates for both new and returning students as well as study break and end of semester dates for undergraduate and postgraduate students.

Life in Coventry

Work and social spaces

International Students

Coventry University welcomes International Students. We've created a page full of useful links and advice for both EU and international students that are considering or have applied to a Coventry University course.

Useful Links

More in this section

As an ambitious and innovative university, our research makes a tangible difference to the way we live. Coventry University is already known for delivering research that makes a significant contribution to a number of global challenges.

Overview

An examination of the political and social changes that have shaped our world lies at the heart of this course: understanding the past can help us to make sense of the present.

By exploring the political, cultural, social and environmental history of pre-dominantly Britain, Europe and America, we will consider some of the defining moments and events of 19th and 20th century. You can also choose from a variety of specialist subject areas, such as the history of ideas, gender, globalisation, international crime, race, conservation and documentary making.

We have an outstanding track record for graduate employability – 100% employed or in further study six months after graduating. The development of intellectual and professional skills valued by employers is embedded into the course; you will have opportunity to improve your powers of reason, judgment, critical thinking, analysis problem-solving, and media production.

Why Coventry University?

An award-winning university, we are committed to providing our students with the best possible experience. We continue to invest in both our facilities and our innovative approach to education. Our students benefit from industry-relevant teaching, and resources and support designed to help them succeed. These range from our modern library and computing facilities to dedicated careers advice and our impressive Students’ Union activities.

Global ready

An international outlook, with global opportunities

Employability

Career-ready graduates, with the skills to succeed

Teaching Excellence

Taught by lecturers who are experts in their field

Course essentials

A degree which offers you more, at no extra cost

Course information

The analysis and interpretation of history provide an essential context for evaluating contemporary institutions, politics, society and culture. It can also provide a unique insight into human civilisation.

This course investigates the impact of ideas and ideologies that have shaped our perception of the world. We focus on the impact of social, political and cultural changes which have affected the development of society. We also consider the relationship between our past and present, specifically how understanding the evolution of culture and society can allow us to enact positive change today.

Modules

Overview

The first year considers the rise of the modern nation state, the emergence of race, early struggles for independence, and the emergence of globalisation. We will touch on some of the enduring themes in the creation of national identities, such as race and racism in the context of the legacy of colonialism, imperialism and slavery.

You will be introduced to the key theoretical and policy approaches to the study of race and racism, incorporating concepts and ideologies such as race, ethnicity, assimilation, integration, multiculturalism, and community cohesion. We will consider these in the light of issues to do with immigration, political representation, legislation, the criminal justice system, employment and housing, which are pertinent today.

You will also have the opportunity to create a historical documentary and to begin developing a portfolio of new media projects.

Modules

Nations and Nationalism: from unifications to annihilation

From Empire to Welfare: Britain 1900-1951

Documenting Society

History of the Atlantic World and Globalisation

Add+vantage

The focus on preparing students for successful futures sets Coventry apart as a university.

The Add+vantage modules teach a range of work experience and extra-curricular activities that are taken each year, and broaden students knowledge and skills within a work focused environment. There is a very wide range of Add+vantage free-choice subject areas, and they are arranged in themes.

Overview

In the second year, we will study the development of Europe and aim to deepen your knowledge of the history of the United States; its culture, conflict and key social changes. You will have the opportunity to gain an understanding of international crime through the historical developments of traditional criminal organisations, such as the Sicilian mafia, and you will have the opportunity to study the history of gender in the 20th century as well as the emergence of espionage as a tool of modern state-making and warfare.

We will also learn about the relationship between humankind and the environment and how attitudes towards the spaces in which we live have driven social changes.

Add+vantage

The focus on preparing students for successful futures sets Coventry apart as a university.

The Add+vantage modules teach a range of work experience and extra-curricular activities that are taken each year, and broaden students knowledge and skills within a work focused environment. There is a very wide range of Add+vantage free-choice subject areas, and they are arranged in themes.

Overview

After your second year, you have an opportunity to take a sandwich year, studying abroad or on professional placement. Past students have studied at partner institutions in the France, Germany, the United States, Canada, Netherlands, Sweden, and South Korea.

Overview

Your studies culminate in either a 10,000-word dissertation or the production of a documentary film. You will choose the topic of your dissertation or film, allowing you to explore and research an area of interest to you. Past students have chosen exciting topics such as the reconciliation of states after World War II, state-supported doping in the Eastern Bloc during the Cold War, the development of the Green Movement in the US, the experience of prisoners of war, piracy in the early modern period, women in the Civil Rights Movement and the Native American experience.

You will study the history of race in the United States, examining the ways in which ethnic minorities have found ways to empower themselves in the face social and political repression. You will also have the chance to engage in specialised studies of the history of the Third Reich; the environmental movement; organised crime; post-war Germany; the far right, as well as the opportunity to take an accredited study trip (additional costs may apply).

Add+vantage

The focus on preparing students for successful futures sets Coventry apart as a university.

The Add+vantage modules teach a range of work experience and extra-curricular activities that are taken each year, and broaden students knowledge and skills within a work focused environment. There is a very wide range of Add+vantage free-choice subject areas, and they are arranged in themes.

In more detail...

History at Coventry University links the study of the past to the state of society today. This allows our graduates to develop the knowledge and skills necessary to shape tomorrow’s world.

Studying the way different societies and institutions of authority have developed and changed over time will help you to understand why people and governments act the way they do. It will also provide you with the opportunity to develop your global perspective and provide a broad knowledge of different cultures to prepare you for an international career in our globalised world.

We will study the evolution and interaction of different states and societies around the globe. The course focuses on the period of history since 1860, with an emphasis on the 20th century. However, we will also cover earlier events to better understand important ideas, trends and developments, including race relations, the long history of climate change and the rise and fall nation-states and organisations such as the EU.

Topics include the study of social movements, nonviolent protest, popular culture, political struggles and democratic advances and set-backs across the world. You will have opportunity to gain an appreciation of the changing nature of historiographical debates and, in doing so, will develop your ability to analyse and then prioritise sources of information and evidence, skills vital to decision making and a prerequisite in almost any career.

You may choose to specialise in North American, European, environmental or social history, including the history of organised crime. You will also have the opportunity to learn how to produce and disseminate documentary films and other new media projects, providing you with invaluable digital skills alongside an ability to write, study independently, analyse, and think critically.

The course provides an excellent foundation to pursue a range of careers in the public, private and voluntary sectors within areas such as documentary and media production, journalism, civil service, teaching, finance, event organisation, and digital publishing.

100% of students were in work or continuing their studies after six months (DLHE 2014/15).

92% student satisfaction in the National Student Survey (NSS) 2018 are satisfied with the quality of our teaching.

Extensive employer links with both the public and private sector, including the BBC, Houses of Parliament and the NHS.

Join our active student-led Humanities Society, which has organised fieldtrips to the Houses of Parliament and other locations across the UK.

Placement opportunities which have previously included Coventry City Council and a range of Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs).

A wide range of international fieldtrips which have previously included trips to New York to make documentary films and central Europe to visit historic sites such as Concentration Camps, and Brussels in visit the centres of European policy-making.

Teaching staff who are research active have published on a wide array of topics ranging from the history of Native America, the history of film, new media production for the humanities and the evolution of popular culture to espionage and intelligence history and the social and cultural history of Britain’s Home Fronts during the two world wars.

Spend a year studying abroad – we have links with universities in France, Germany, the Netherlands, and Sweden.

Social history: We analyse the transformation of social classes in Britain during the period of transition from late Victorian Imperialism to the modern day. We will examine the development of the welfare state, comparing theories, ideologies and principles of welfare: liberalism, social democracy, conservatism, New Labour, radical critiques (Marxism, feminism etc.). We analyse the lived experience of life in the Eastern Bloc during the Cold War and the ways in which racial minorities have empowered themselves throughout American history. We also explore the history of the environmental movement.

The media and history: We analyse the relationship between the media and society with a particular emphasis upon the ways in which film, novels, comic books, and journalists have helped to shape the modern world. Students will also engage with new media production during their studies, learning how to create short films and other new media projects to spread their ideas.Global Political History: You will be introduced to the ways in which the emergence of the Atlantic World, and later globalisation, altered the cultural, social, and economic realities of all involved. We study historical change from the 15th century to present day. With an emphasis on the Atlantic world – Europe, Africa, and the Americas, we examine the exchange of cultures, goods, peoples, and ideas, incorporating major themes of social and political change, war and diplomacy, and social development.

The course normally lasts three years when studied full-time and four to six years part-time, with students starting in September.

Your personal tutor will review and discuss your progress with you and will be available for advice.

You will be taught by staff with recognised authority in a diverse range of fields – the history of Native Americans and the American frontier, ideology and party politics in Britain, 20th century German history and the politics of the far right, the history of the green movement and eco-communities. You will use a wide range of sources including contemporary documents, online archives, film footage and radio recordings to explore various aspects of the past. You will participate in debates and, in your second year, participate in new and evolving learning environments based upon our research-led teaching philosophy.

Our experts will integrate the latest research into your teaching, exposing you to the latest ways to interpret the past. For example, students will engage in a new and evolving cultural history of the United States which explores the links between the country’s past and its tumultuous present.

You will have the opportunity to go on international and domestic fieldtrips, including accredited trips to Sicily and Berlin. In the recent past, fieldtrip destinations have included Strasbourg, Nuremburg, and Jamaica. We also host an exciting programme of guest speakers covering topics such as organised crime, international history, and life as a holocaust survivor.

Your course will be based on a series of lectures, with associated seminars, tutorials, workshops, online discussions and web-based activities

This course will be assessed using a variety of methods which will could vary depending upon the module. Assessment methods include, formal examinations and coursework.

The Coventry University Group assessment strategy ensures that our courses are fairly assessed and allows us to monitor student progression towards the achieving the intended learning outcomes. Assessments may include exams, individual assignments or group work elements.

In a typical teaching week, you will have up to 14 ‘contact’ hours of teaching per week. This will involve a mix of lecturers, seminars, workshops, one-on-one meetings, and new, innovative learning environments.

This might typically break down as:

Personal tutorial/small group teaching: 2 hours of one-to-one contact with lecturers per week.

Medium group teaching: 6 hours per module per week of seminars, workshops and group work.

Large group teaching: 6 hours of lectures each week.

In addition, you will be expected to undertake a further 23 hours of self-directed studying, including guided study using handouts, online activities in your own time.

One of the key features of this course is that it provides an international experience through both the content of your course and the opportunity to spend time abroad. The course is taught from an international perspective with both British and global scholars collaborating to produce new learning experiences.

We are keen to provide an internationalised student experience, so will also support you if you wish to study abroad. We have links with some of the most prestigious European universities, such as the Science Po in Bordeaux, the University of Lund in Sweden and the University of Political Sciences in The Hague. If you do not speak a foreign language, we can arrange a study year at an institution where courses are taught in English.

We organise a range of annual study trips, which have included trips to Berlin, Sicily, Brussels/Strasbourg, Krakow and the US. On these trips, students have met with former Stasi prisoners, holocaust survivors and had talks from a range of academic experts. They have toured budding cultural centres in places such as Harlem in New York and have participated in the production of documentary films about ongoing cultural and political developments with deep historic roots. Previous students spent a week in Sicily, for example, examining how the anti-mafia organisation Libera has been working to combat organised crime.

Global ready

Did you know we help more students travel internationally than any other UK university according to data from the experts in higher education data and analysis, HESA?

In 2016/17, we were able to provide a total of 3,482 experiences abroad that lasted at least five days.

Much of this travel is made possible through our Global Leaders Programme, which enables students to prepare for the challenges of the global employment market, as well as strengthening and developing their broader personal and professional skills.

A-Levels

A-Level applicants are required to have three A2 Levels. Coventry University may include AS grades within an offer for certain courses, but we are not able to accept two AS Levels in place of one A2 Level. In some courses it may be necessary for entrants to have passed specific A2 Levels in nominated subjects. Please see the course pages for more information.

Access Diplomas

The Access to HE Diploma to include 30 Level 3 credits at Merit, plus GCSE English Language at grade A*-C.

Coventry University welcomes applicants who have completed, or who are studying, the Access to HE Diploma developed by the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA). Successful completion of the course will require you to gain 60 credits with at least 45 to be achieved at Level 3 (with the remainder at Level 2). In some cases we will require you to have gained Merit or Distinction grades in a number of units or in nominated subjects. For more information on the entry requirements for your chosen course please see the relevant course pages.

BTEC Level 3 Diplomas

The University will accept the BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma for entry to most courses. In some cases we will require applicants to have studied either certain named modules or a specific named Diploma. The appropriate course page will have full information on the entry requirements. The University also accepts the BTEC Level 3 Subsidiary Diploma and BTEC Level 3 Diploma for entry to degree programmes, provided that they are studied in combination with other qualifications that provide a total volume of study that is equivalent to three A2 Levels. For example, you could be studying a BTEC Level 3 Diploma plus an A2 Level, or a BTEC Level 3 Subsidiary Diploma plus two A2 Levels. Where a specific A2 or BTEC subject is required for entry then you must be offering this as part of your combination of qualifications.

Please visit our page on European entry requirements for more information about specific country information.

Unconditional offers

We want to recruit the best students to Coventry and having assessed applicants' past, current and predicted performance and commitment to the course we feel that it is appropriate to reward consistently high-achieving students with an unconditional offer from a top university. It is a commitment from us with regard to an applicants’ potential as an excellent undergraduate and we hope that this will encourage such applicants to join the Coventry community.

Personal statements and references will also be taken into account and, for some degree courses, an interview will form part of the assessment. The criteria for unconditional offers will vary across the University as entry requirements for specific courses differ and not all degree courses will be taking part in the Scheme. The unconditional offer will be confirmed once a selected applicant has made Coventry their firm choice.

Coventry University has assessed that you are capable of achieving excellent grades and we have demonstrated this belief by making you an unconditional offer. This is our commitment to you so then we ask that you reciprocate this commitment by selecting us as your ‘firm’ choice and activating your unconditional offer.

We will consider other qualifications for a pre-result unconditional offer providing that you have an appropriate proven performance at GCSE (or equivalent) level and predicted grades in line with grades that we expect to see at A-level. Other qualifications that we may consider for a pre-result unconditional offer include: the International Baccalaureate Diploma, BTEC Level 3 qualifications, Cambridge Pre-U and combinations of qualifications (e.g. BTECS plus A-levels).

An unconditional offer is what it says it is. So if you don’t meet your predictions then your place at Coventry is still guaranteed. However we would hope and expect that you continue to work hard to make the most of your potential and be best prepared to study at university level.

We can’t but our experience over the years has shown us that students like you with a track record of high grades and excellent predictions are very likely to achieve those grades. Our assessment takes into account all elements of your application to allow us to take a holistic view of your potential. There is still the opportunity to gain one of the Coventry University Scholarships if you achieve the required grades so there is a financial incentive to aim high. Unconditional offers are only made to individuals who have demonstrated their commitment so we believe their focus and determination is unlikely to waver in the final stages of their qualifications.

No, the unconditional offer is only available to those who will take up their place in 2019.

Tuition Fees

We pride ourselves on offering competitive tuition fees which we review on an annual basis and offer a wide range of scholarships to support students with their studies. Course fees are calculated on the basis of what it costs to teach each course and we aim for total financial transparency.

Starts

Fee

September 2019

£9,250 (per year)

Scholarships

For the September 2018 intake we're investing in a range of EU Academic Excellence scholarships for high achieving and enterprising students. Fulfil your potential this academic year with Coventry University!

Starts

Fee

September 2019

£13,250 (per year)

Scholarships

For the September 2018 intake we're investing in a wide range of Academic Excellence scholarships for high achieving and enterprising international students. Fulfil your potential this academic year with Coventry University!

Course essentials at no extra cost

We're committed to communicating study costs clearly to make sure you're not faced with having to make any unexpected payments.

This is why our ‘Flying Start’ package provides you with a few course essentials. Your full-time fee for an undergraduate degree will cover the following:

UK field trips

Any mandatory site visits and trips within the United Kingdom.

Key material

This can include core textbooks, software and equipment.

Laser prints

1,000 A4 sides of black and white laser printing credits per year.

Optional year

Pay no tuition fees for optional work placements or study abroad trips.

EU student fees

EU nationals and their family members starting in the 2019/20 academic year remain eligible for the same fees as home students and the same financial support. Financial support comes from Student Finance England, and covers undergraduate and postgraduate study for the duration of their course, providing they meet the residency requirement.

For tuition fee loans

EU nationals must have resided in the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland for the three years prior to the start of their course. The purpose of that three year residency should not have been mainly for the purpose of receiving full time education.

For maintenance loans

EU nationals must have resided in the UK and Islands for the five years prior to the start of their course. The purpose of that five year residency should not have been mainly for the purpose of receiving full time education.

Career prospects

Throughout the course, your academic study will be combined with broad-based skills development. When you graduate, you will have had opportunity to develop a range of transferrable skills, which are highly valued by employers, including excellent communications, critical thinking and analysis, strong presentation and listening skills.

These skills, together with your knowledge of the world, would make you suited to careers in government, business, media production, digital publishing, journalism, lobbying, campaigning, voluntary organisations and international organisations like the United Nations (UN) or the European Commission.

Our Futures employment team is on hand to offer tailored career and enterprise support if you wish to gain employment or take advantage of professional practice opportunities within course specific industries. You’ll have access to a designated employability officer who can advise you on career opportunities and give support to help you develop tailor-made job applications.

Coventry University is committed to preparing you for your future career and giving you a competitive edge in the graduate job market. The University's Careers and Employability team provide a wide range of support services to help you plan and prepare for your career.

Where our graduates work

In addition to postgraduate courses and research, recent graduates have entered careers at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the BBC, and Sky. Others are developing careers in defence, security in media management, teaching and business.

What our alumni say

Studying History was great for me because of the focus on modern history. There was a diverse choice of modules, with a good balance between political and social history, depending on your preference. Also, I had the amazing opportunity to study abroad for a year at The Hague University, allowing me to study history from another perspective, grow as an individual and meet some wonderful people from all over the world.

Related courses

This integrated degree brings together the two complementary disciplines of politics and history. We combine the teaching of comparative 20th century politics and political ideas with modern global, political and social history, with a focus on Britain, Europe and America.

Benefiting from outstanding levels of overall student satisfaction – 100% in the 2016 National Student Survey and ranked 9th in the 2018 Guardian League Tables (with Politics) – this exciting course examines the events and issues shaping contemporary world politics, providing a deeper understanding of the rationale and value of peaceful and cooperative relationships between nations, as well as the challenges of foreign policies.

Disclaimer

By accepting your offer of a place and enrolling with us, a Student Contract will be formed between you and the University. A copy of the 19/20 Contract can be found here. The Contract details your rights and the obligations you will be bound by during your time as a student and contains the obligations that the University will owe to you. You should read the Contract before you accept an offer of a place and before you enrol at the University.

The University will charge the tuition fees that are stated on the course webpage and in the prospectus for the first year of study. The University will review tuition fees each year. For UK and EU students, if Parliament permit an increase in tuition fees, the University may increase fees for each subsequent year of study in line with any such changes. Note that any increase for UK and EU Students is expected to be in line with inflation. For international students, the University may increase fees for each subsequent year of study but such increases will be no more than 5% above inflation.